Senator Doug Jones begins new chapter in Washington

by Kristine Frazao, Sinclair Broadcast Group

Vice President Mike Pence, right, administers the Senate oath of office during a mock swearing in ceremony in the Old Senate Chamber to Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., second from left, with his wife Louise Jones, second from right, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018 on Capitol Hill in Washington. They are joined at far left by their son Christopher Jones, and son Carson Jones, center. Jones defeated Republican Roy Moore in a special election to take the seat once held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The state of Alabama is also starting 2018 with a major change -- they have elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate for the first time in 25 years. So what can we expect from Sen. Doug Jones?

Jones says he plans to keep his promise to do what’s best for all of this constituents.

“My sense is that people just want somebody that is going to listen to them understand em and at the end of the day hopefully we can find that common ground,” Jones said in an interview Wednesday.

Common ground is of course not always easy in Washington.

Jones sides with fellow Democrats on contentious issues like abortion rights, gun control and the Affordable Care Act. But he said his top priorities include saving the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) which he says 150,000 children in Alabama rely on.

Another goal he said is reaching a deal on DACA, the program for Dreamers, set to expire in March. Jones says in exchange, he wouldn’t rule out working with President Trump on funding for a border wall.

“There’s a lot of talk about walls and what that may entail. I don’t think we have seen the specifics. Immigration reform is important and to do that it’s going to take some compromise on a lot of issues,” Jones said.

He also said he plans to work with his counterpart in Alabama, Republican Sen. Richard Shelby.

“I am going to look at this with an eye toward what’s best for the country and what’s best for the state of Alabama,” Jones said.